Sandown’s Sunny Historics
9-10 November 2024
Report by Darren Knight. Pics by Phil Wisewould
Group One – Under 2 Litre and Invited Cars
Race One, Saturday pm
After qualifying third Richard Hill (Mini) went nowhere when the lights went out, the whole field avoiding the ‘Stricken Brick’, which eventually got going almost dead last. At the front, polesitter David Brown displayed all the speed his Datsun 1600 is known for, but with the quickest EH in the country of Phil Shepherd in hot pursuit.
Regular SA visitor Ian Pringle (Mini) ran strongly in third as an almighty battle raged between the Mini of Steven McKay and the Lotus Cortina of Kim Shearn. The two Queensland EH Holdens of Claude Ciccotelli and Stephen Jeffs were giving Les Walmsley (Cortina GT) all sorts of bother with James Holloway (Mini) joining the entertaining scrap in his first meeting for some time.
Meanwhile, Hill was absolutely storming through the field and snatched fourth place on the last lap as Brown took the win from Shepherd and Pringle. John Harrison was the best of the five Cortinas entered in eighth while further back Simon Browning edged out Don Knight in their GTs.
Race Two, Sunday am
Shepherd got the jump on Brown and led for the first few laps as the Minis of Hill, Pringle and McKay punched on in earnest. A switch to different size rear rubber saw better speed from Walmsley but he now had the FJ Holden of Phil Barrow for company before the Humpy’s bugbear of diminishing brakes eventually reared its head and Walmsley opened a gap.
Championship contender Don Knight suffered a blow to his chances when a carb link issue forced retirement. But Mike George (Lotus Cortina) continued his solid run by harassing Harrison constantly, as Brown grabbed the lead and went on to take another win in front of Shepherd, Hill and Pringle.
Race Three, Sunday pm
Shepherd again grabbed an early advantage but Brown fought back sooner this time to take the lead. Browning, Knight, newcomer John Doherty (Mini) and Racer Industries trackside van man Gordon Cox (Mk II Cortina GT) got stuck into a fierce battle not far behind the immaculate W.A. based Mk II Jag of Sandown first-timer Michael Gallagher who surprised no one by taking out the Best Presented award. Barrow’s Cortina hunting came to a halt as he limped to the finish with the column shift stuck in top gear.
With the famous ex-Blanchard FE Holden now retired, category stalwart Eddie Dobbs was deservedly given the honour of waving the checker as Brown, previously untroubled at the front, found the roaring EH of Shepherd almost finishing alongside in second followed by Hill and Pringle. Getting faster every outing, Mike George wrested fifth off Kim Shearn in their Lotus Cortina battle and winning the Makulu Vehicle Storage Group 1 Driver of the Meeting for his efforts.
Group Two – Over 2 Litres
Qualifying saw some early drama when the Charger of Glenn Miles suffered a stuck throttle and T-boned the Mustang of Darren Jones in the passenger door while fourth qualifier Dom Leo’s weekend in the Camaro was cut short with an engine issue. With the first three qualifiers all in the 1.21s David Tessari plonked the 350 Monaro on pole ahead of Trevor Talbot’s Camaro and Qld’s Ian Mewett in the Fastback Mustang.
Race One, Saturday afternoon
Tessari grabbed the lead as Tony Hubbard (Camaro) rocketed off the line to head the Torana of Daniel Van Stokrom who was soon all over the big Chev’s tail. Likewise, Mewett harassed Andrew Beard (Camaro) in a big dice for third – as Tessari suddenly slowed momentarily allowing Trevor Talbot (Camaro) to sweep into the lead. Tessari continued down the order plagued by gear selection issues and a recurrent miss.
Coming down into Dandenong Road corner van Stokrom found himself out of control with a suspected deflating tyre. Try as he might to avoid Hubbard’s Chev he cannoned into its rear quarter of with massive damage to both cars. Both drivers alighted unaided with Hubbard taken for medical checks.
After a race long duel Jervis Ward (Falcon Sprint) snuck past Geoff Munday (Camaro) on the last lap as Talbot greeted the chequered flag first in front of Mewett and Ben Wilkinson (Mustang). A five second penalty for alleged movement before the start saw Talbot knocked down to fourth behind Andrew Beard, with Mewett awarded the win.
Race Two, Sunday am
Talbot had plenty of wheel spin off the line and soon joined Beard, Wilkinson and Mewett in a cracking early battle at the front. Darren Jones was back after the generous loan of a door from the Targa-spec `66 fastback Mustang of Driving Standards Observer and fellow racer Andy Clempson but fuel surge would curtail his comeback. Beard looped his Camaro at T1 and re- joined in fifth.
Two-time Club Champ Peter Meuleman led the pre-65 brigade with fantastic speed from his sinister all black Mustang whilst fellow Nb runners Ward inadvertently knocked his ignition off before continuing and Bill Trengrove (Mustang) retired with overheating. Talbot ran wide at Dandy Road after second gear failed to slot and Tessari retired the big Munro with its maddening miss.
At the front Wilkinson had his eyes glued to his mirror as Talbot rapidly closed in on the silver 302-powered Pony but Trev fell just short by half a second at the flag. Meuleman snagged a third in front of Beard and Mewett who dropped back mid race with braking issues.
Race Three, Sunday pm
A big squeeze after T1 on the opening lap saw Mewett bounce across the hefty ripple strips and into retirement with the `69 Mustang stuck in gear. Ward slipped through on Meuleman in the melee as back at the front Wilkinson headed a charging Talbot who looked set to mount another challenge to finally snatch a win.
This all came to nought though when the Safety Car was despatched following a spin at T1 for the John Alessi HQ Monaro with the dreaded red flags coming out shortly after. Ben Wilkinson bagged the win from Talbot, Beard and Ward. This effort and his spirited charging all weekend won Ben the Group 2 Makulu Vehicle Storage Driver of the Meeting award.
It had been a solid weekend’s sport as the Just Cars racers’ HTCAV Championship surged towards the finish line, with the just Island Magic weekend at Phillip Island to go. And you’ll read all about that in the next Issue of Just Cars.